


A Late Return

by Darazelly



Series: A Collection of Moments [7]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-16
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-09 15:07:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4353680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darazelly/pseuds/Darazelly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They weren't expecting the Inquisitor to return to Skyhold for several days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Late Return

It was a relief when they finally rode into the torch-lit courtyard of Skyhold. The clatter of hooves and guards shouting back and forth echoed between the fortress’ stone-walls, sounding louder in the still night-air. Overhead, the little ball of magelight that had lit their way from the valley camp fizzled out with one last energetic bounce.

Elshira wasn’t all that surprised when she saw the hooded figure of Leliana waiting for them along with the stablehands. The young boys looked like they had taken after the animals they cared for and had mastered the art of sleeping standing up, until they jolted awake and blinked their eyes at the newly returned party.

“Welcome back, Inquisitor,” Leliana greeted her when Elshira pulled her horse to a halt in front of her. Behind her, Varric, Dorian and Cole followed suit, all of them looking worn and tired from the long ride.

Elshira slid down from her saddle, barely suppressing a groan at her stiff legs and back when she hit the ground, just as the guards shut the gate behind them with a muted thud. Home, finally.

“Thank you Leliana,” she replied while patting her horse’s neck. “I didn’t expect anyone to be awake.” A stableboy came up to her and took over the reins, and Elshira gave the lad a grateful smile before turning to remove her saddlebags.

“The valley camp sent up a bird that you had arrived.”

“And one of the guards went and woke you up,” Elshira finished with a nod as she hefted up her saddlebags onto her shoulder.

“Correct.” Leliana stepped aside as the stablehands led off all the horses towards the stables. “I trust everything went fine in the Heartlands?”

“Oh it went marvellous,” Dorian responded before she had a chance to. “So many bandits, so many rifts, so little time.”

“And even less energy to deal with the nobles,” Varric chimed in, his voice hoarse and weary.

“They were scared. The demons weren’t there for tea.” Varric snorted and patted Cole on the shoulder.

Elshira shook her head with a small smile. “As they say.”

The hint of a smile tugged at Leliana’s lips. “I’m glad to hear.” 

Turning to her companions, Elshira nodded. “Go get some sleep; I’ll see you all tomorrow. Sleep well.”

“Finally.” Dorian yawned theatrically as he started towards the keep, Varric bidding them good-night as he followed.

Elshira gave them a small wave in good-bye while trying her best to ignore the fatigue clawing at her. Only Cole lingered, peering at her from under his wide hat.

“The shadows are pulling at him,” he started before she had a chance to ask if something was wrong, tilting his head slightly to the side with a thoughtful frown. “Clawing, snarling. He reaches out for her, but she’s not there, not tonight, not tomorrow. It’s cold without her, the darkness closer, the blue song more tempting.”

“Hey kid, you coming?” Varric called out from up ahead.

Cole blinked owlishly. “Good night,” he said and turned to follow the dwarf across the courtyard.

Elshira frowned in confusion, slowly piecing together the words through the fog of exhaustion. “Who?” And then realization dawned on her. “Oh.” Her eyes automatically darted to the tower by the main gate, her stomach lurching with longing after so many weeks apart.

“Go, we can talk more tomorrow.”

Surprised, she turned back to Leliana, taking in the rare soft look in her eyes and fond smile on her lips. Relief flooded her body and she gave Leliana a grateful smile. “I will see you tomorrow then,” she responded with a nod.

Leliana patted her shoulder and they bid each other goodnight before they went their separate ways. As Elshira made her way up the stairs to the battlements, the fatigue she’d held at bay sank deep into her bones. It felt like someone had poured sand into her eyes and her armour seemed heavier than usual, her muscles stiff and aching. The vague feeling of nausea from lack of sleep rolled in her stomach.

At the top of the stairs, a sleepy guard murmured a greeting to her before walking off along the battlements. Elshira glanced after the guard while she fished out her key from the inside pocket of her coat. The well-oiled lock on the door turned with no problems, and with a sigh of relief she slunk into the darkness of Cullen’s office. Despite shutting the door as quietly as she could, she caught the sound of fabric rustling up above.

“It’s just me Cullen,” she called out softly in case he had woken up due to their arrival. It had happened more than once that when she’d slept in his bed the noise of riders had woken her up in the early morning hours, so she knew well enough how easily the noises from down at the courtyard travelled to his loft.

But there were no reply. Elshira locked the door and walked over to his desk, noting the large stacks of reports covering it, with a spread out map of Orlais taking up most of the space. While putting down her gauntlets on the corner of his desk and her saddlebags on the floor, she glanced up towards his loft. Maybe he was asleep after all. She unbuckled her sword while walking over to the weapon rack and hung it up next to his. The metal clinked, the silence amplifying the sharp noise. Next was her shield, which she leaned against the wall, and her remaining plate armour. Climbing that ladder with metal latched onto her shins and knees was out of the question.

A piece of plate slipped from her tired fingers and clattered to the stone floor with an ear shattering clatter. With a soft curse she froze and listened. True enough, there was the sound of a sharp intake of breath, faint but there none the less.

“Cullen?” She called out softly once more while her fingers resumed untying her shin armour.

There was a brief silence before she heard him move about. “Eli?”

Guilt tugged at her when she heard how his voice was thick with sleep. “Yes, it’s me. I’ll be up in a minute.”

With hasty movements, she removed the rest of her leg armour and piled them up by the armour racks. Maybe she should’ve ignored her selfish wish to see him and just gone to her own quarters instead and let him sleep. But done was done.

Her muscles screamed when she climbed up the ladder, but once she made it to the top, she was greeted with the welcoming sight of her commander. A candle burned on his side table, bathing the room in its soft light.

The smile that graced his handsome features at the sight of her caused a pleasant flutter in her stomach, her own smile growing in response. “Hey,” she murmured once she reached the bed. “I’m sorry I woke you up.”

Cullen sat upright and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, his hands reaching out for her. “Never mind that,” he whispered heatedly. Their fingers brushed and she bent down so she could kiss him. It took all her willpower to not just collapse into his arms when his hands cradled her jaw and his lips were so warm and welcoming, kissing her gently.

“You’re really here,” he murmured when they finally broke apart. “We didn’t expect you back for another two days.”

“We finished up early,” she explained while caressing his cheeks. The faint early traces of stubble were rough under her fingertips. “One of the lowland camps had fresh horses we could switch to, so we kept riding.”

“I’m glad.” He covered her left hand with his and turned his head to press a kiss to her palm. “I missed you.”

“Likewise,” she whispered and brushed her lips against his once more before standing up straight again.

His hands fell to her belt. “You look like you haven’t slept in days.” With practised ease his nimble fingers were fast to undo the belt, pausing only to take in her nearly empty potion vials before he put it down on his bed and moved onto undoing the knot on her silk sash.

Elshira laughed, a quiet huff of breath, at the reprimand in his voice while unclasping her vambraces. “Appropriate, considering I feel like I haven’t slept in days.”

“Problems?”

She dropped the vambraces to the bed and caressed his bare shoulders while he unravelled the silk from her waist. “The comte was most displeased that his and the comtesse’s plans to have their garden lit up by spirits didn’t work,” she replied with a tired smile. “Not that it stopped them from trying to capture more of the demons at the nearby rifts with some fake magic bottles that merchant sold them.”

The way Cullen frowned made her snort in amusement. “Don’t worry, I will ask Leliana to track down this merchant. Maybe send Belinda and Rion to check his goods.” 

He paused but then nodded in agreement.

Elshira tilted her head to the side. “Has everything been alright here?”

Cullen hummed. “There was an accident with the horses, but the involved, both horse and man, will make full recovery, thankfully.”

Elshira brushed her fingers through his hair, prompting him to look up at her. The dark circles under his eyes told her what he didn’t. “And how about you, ma vhenan?”

He looked back down at the scarlet silk in his hands and folded it together methodically. “Headaches for the most part. The nightmares have been...”

When he trailed off, she caressed his cheek. Cullen looked back up and she gave him a soft, reassuring smile. Her heart ached for him, for the pains he endured to rid himself of the lyrium, despite the pride she felt for his determination in cutting those ties. As much as she tried to refrain from doting, it was hard not to worry when she was away for a long stretch of time. It was reassuring to know that Cassandra, and Dorian on those occasions when he didn’t accompany her, kept an eye on him and made sure he didn’t forego sleep or food in favour of work.

In a comfortable silence they continued to remove the rest of her gear. Once her leather coat, breastplate, gambeson and undershirt lay piled up on top of his bed, Cullen raked his eyes over her body, taking in the scratches and bruises covering her. Frowning, he skimmed his fingers over the faded, yellow bruise that covered the whole length of her right side. 

“The parting gift from a Pride Demon,” she murmured. 

A small, pleasant shudder went through her body when he leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her stomach while sliding his fingers up her spine, his other hand cradling her hip. Elshira brushed her fingers through his curls once more with a soft sigh, before she reluctantly moved from him and gathered up the pile of her things. She walked over to the oak chest by the wall and placed her items on top it. Groaning at the protests of her back and thigh muscles, she bent over and tugged off her boots, pants and socks. With just her underclothes left, the night air prickled at her skin.

Eager to slip into the warmth of his bed, she began tugging loose the lacing at the front of her breastbindings, but paused when she heard Cullen make an appreciative humming noise. Amused, she glanced at him where he was resting with his back against the headboard of the bed, watching her. With a coy smile she slipped down the wide shoulder straps over her arms and turned her back to him as she tugged the linen over her head with perhaps a bit more stretching and squirming than usual.

“Tease.”

Soft, carefree laughter bubbled up from her chest. “You can look all you want tomorrow,” she retorted as she crouched down by the chest. It felt good and relaxing to just exchange easy teasing with him after several weeks of dealing with rifts and demons and grouchy minor lords with the egos of kings. Cullen’s throaty chuckle warmed her insides and eased away some of the tension still lingering in her muscles.

"Only look, hm?"

"Creators, I hope not," she laughed, feeling her cheeks heat despite how tired she was, her thoughts straying to her saddlebags where the securely wrapped package bearing the wax seal of a particular tailor in Val Royeaux still lay. Clearing her throat, Elshira reached for the red embroidered cloth bag next to the chest. She tugged open the braided leather drawstrings and looked inside to find that her spare clothes had been washed and folded together since the last time they ended up spending the night in his bed. Blessed be the discrete maids, she thought while digging through the contents. 

Finding what she sought, she fished out a shirt, its dark blue colour faded with age, and slipped it on. It was too large and hung precariously off her slimmer frame, the unlaced neckline leaving most of her shoulders and collar on display while the hem reached well down to her thighs.

When she turned around and began walking back to him, she saw that despite Cullen’s sleepy expression, his golden eyes held that by now familiar warm glint of appreciation. It was rather endearing how he obviously liked seeing her wear his shirts. Not to mention his fur-lined coat. Creators, the hungry look he got in his eyes when she wore only that.

Cullen pulled back the covers for her, and she drank in the sight of her half-dressed lover, admiring his broad shoulders and chest. Even now, after months of sleeping together, she couldn’t help but be captivated by the physical differences between him and men of her own people.

With a deep sigh of relief, she crawled over his legs to the inner side of the bed. Her body felt like it was made of lead, weighted down by the knowledge that the bliss of sleep was finally within reach. Groaning, she flopped down onto her stomach on the soft mattress.

“I want to sleep for three days,” she muttered into the pillow.

“I doubt Josephine would let you,” Cullen chuckled and pulled the blankets and furs back up over them.

“I’m the Inquisitor,” she pouted at his back as he turned away to blow out the candle.

Chuckling, Cullen settled back down next to her. “Precisely why she wouldn’t let you,” he responded as he nuzzled her shoulder, kissing the exposed skin there while he draped an arm over her back.

Elshira made a noise stuck between pleased and protesting, but before she could retort, a wide yawn interrupted her. 

“Welcome back, Inquistor,” Cullen murmured and pressed a kiss to her temple.

She snuggled closer to him before finally relaxing entirely. “Glad to be, Commander.” With a small sigh she let the allure of sleep pull her under, content and happy to finally be back with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just something I wrote to distract myself. I don't have a beta and english is my secondary language, so I apologize for any errors and you are more than welcome to point them out.


	2. A Early Departure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up drabbling the following morning from Cullen's point of view.

Like every morning, it was the faint sound of the Chantry bell that woke him at the break of dawn, a habit ingrained into his very bones after so many years as a templar. But as soon as the familiar sound registered with him, he noticed the warm body pressed against his. For split a second his mind, still stuck halfway between sleep and being awake, panicked at the sudden presence of someone else in his bed, a bed that had been very much empty when he went to sleep last night. His body tensed in alarm while his heart skipped a beat as his eyes shot open.

But then he blinked the sleep from his eyes and realized that his field of vision was full of auburn tresses, a freckled cheek and the familiar, crooked silhouette of a broken nose. All at once the recollection of Elshira’s unexpected return last night came crashing down over him, and he relaxed with a soft sigh.

It hadn’t been a dream.

While the bell kept tolling in the background, his arm momentarily tightened around her waist as he took a deep breath and shook the last threads of sleep from his mind. It was muted under the musky scent of leather, sweat and horses, as expected after days on the road, but he could still catch that earthy scent, mingled with raspberries and crystal grace from her soaps, that he associated with her. It was the same scent that haunted his bed for weeks, growing fainter and fainter with every day that passed by since her departure.

A small content smile tugged at his lips as he let himself have a few minutes to just lie and listen to her soft, even breathing as she thankfully slept on. Ever since they’d started to spend the nights together, he missed her all the more when she was away from Skyhold. It was just too empty without her curled up by his side. Most of all, he missed their quiet conversations as they lay in bed, free of the social trappings of their respective stations, with no need to worry about messengers or guards or something else to suddenly interrupt.

Cullen rubbed small circles at her side with his thumb. The nightmares were easier to deal with when she was there. When he was alone he was stuck staring out in the darkness of his empty room until the claws of the nightmares loosened their hold on him. But she would light a candle and chase away what shadows that still lingered in the corners with her soft words.

His thoughts were interrupted by her making a quiet sound and shifting ever so slightly towards him, her right hand curling against his forearm where it lay over her stomach. Maker, she looked so beautiful in the low morning light, her face relaxed and void of any worry lines, full lips slightly parted. The urge to kiss her was overwhelming, as he’d done many other mornings. He wanted to trail kisses down her neck, to whisper his good mornings and words of love against her skin as she woke up, and hear her sleepy giggles and murmurs of how his stubble tickled. He wanted to hear those giggles turn into breathy moans until she impatiently tugged her sleepwear over her head, baring the rest of her body for his hands and mouth to retrace her curves until he had her squirming and begging under him.

Groaning at the sudden stirring of warmth in his belly, Cullen forced his thoughts away from that particular familiar path.

With slow, careful movements to not disturb her, he moved his arm from underneath her hand. Normally she would be awake at this hour too, a life of early morning hunts conditioning her to rise with the sun. Normally.

A soft sigh escaped her when he pressed a kiss to her tattooed brow before rising up from the bed. Instantly Elshira rolled over into the space he’d just occupied, and Cullen froze, fearing that she had woken up. But she just made a quiet, annoyed sound at the sudden intrusion of the chilly morning air and curled up on her side, burrowing further into the covers as if she could trap the absent heat of his body that way.

Cullen smiled in amusement at the sight of her with the covers pulled up to her nose. As she relaxed back into the depth of sleep, the irritated wrinkle between her eyebrows evened out. Staying as quiet as he could, Cullen got dressed and gathered up some stray reports for Josephine that he’d left at the nightstand. With his mind already straying towards the things he needed to get done over the day, he began walking towards the ladder.

“Cullen?”

At the sound of his name, he froze mid-step, pausing before turning and crossing the short distance back to her side. Elshira was barely awake, her green eyes heavy with sleep as she regarded him. “Morning,” he greeted her with a soft smile as he knelt on the floor.

“Mornin’.” She leaned up so they could share a brief kiss, then promptly slumped back against the pillow, blinking slowly. “What time is it?”

Cullen chuckled and brushed back some sleep-mussed hair from her face, tracing the branches twisting across her forehead with his fingers. “Early enough for you to look like you’re still asleep.” She frowned and looked like she’d protest, but he took her hand in his and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Sleep, Eli. I know Josephine is busy with some nobles until noon, so we won’t be able to have a meeting until after then.” He rubbed the back of her fingers with his thumb. “I’ll come back in a few hours, after the morning drills, and wake you. Sound good?”

She nodded and caressed his cheek before she curled back up, nestling into the covers. “Alright.”

As he rose back up to his feet, he pressed a last kiss to her temple.

“Love you,” she murmured, her rough voice muffled against the blankets.

“Love you too,” he replied and walked back to the ladder.

“By the way…” Cullen paused at the sound of her quiet voice, turning half back towards her. All he could see of her was tuffs off her hair sticking up over the edge of the blankets. “Managed to stop by that tailor in Val Royeaux.”

His mouth instantly went dry while heat spread up the back of his neck, his grip on the reports for Josephine growing just a little bit tighter as he cleared his throat. He knew very well which tailor she meant.

“’s from Antiva, nothing too lacy,” she continued, her smile evident in her voice. “Have these lovely embroideries though. And silk ribbons. Really soft and comfortable.”

Cullen felt the blush creep over his cheeks. He was a simple man with simple tastes and although he very much liked seeing her in his old shirts or lounging around with just his surcoat draped over her shoulders, in the end his interest in her mattered little on what she wore. But, he couldn’t deny that those occasions when she slipped into something… fancier were highly pleasing as well. At least she agreed with him on the ridiculousness of most orleasian fashion and made her choices thereafter.

“Just you know… In case you needed an incentive to get through that stack of reports on your desk before the evening.”

While taking a deep breath and counting to ten in his head he turned back to the ladder, willing his thoughts away from memories of lacy embroideries that hugged her breasts in a very inviting manner and soft, sheer fabrics draped over her curves. “I will… keep that in mind, Maker’s breath…”

The muffled laugh followed him down the ladder brought a fond smile to his lips.


End file.
